Hacienda Luisita farm workers protest at SC on
February 22, 2012. (Photo by AMGL)
February 22, 2012. (Photo by AMGL)
The Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luson (Amgl, Farmers’ Alliance in Central Luzon) and Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala, Farmworkers’ Alliance in Hacienda Luisita) called against an “Aquino court,” or appointment of a chief justice who would serve as a string-puppet to president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and the Cojuangco-Aquino family. The groups said that a Supreme Court without independence and vulnerable to president Aquino’s political armtwisting would probably attempt to reverse the November 22, 2011 and April 24, 2012 ruling on Hacienda Luisita. About a hundred farmworkers and farmers from Hacienda Luisita and other provinces in Central Luzon held a protest in front of the Supreme Court in Manila.
“We are calling against the appointment of a chief justice who is politically connected to Aquino. With Aquino appointing an ally irregardless of his or her credentials would only be a repeat of what former Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did when she appointed ousted chief justice Renato Corona,” said Joseph Canlas, Amgl chairperson.
“We call against an ‘Aquino court’ or a high court favoring Aquino and his family,” he added.
“We extremely oppose the appointment of solicitor general Francis Jardeleza who served Aquino’s uncle Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco, Jr. in San Miguel Corp. as this would mean greater possibility of the reversal of the high court’s decision on Hacienda Luisita,” Rodel Mesa, Ambala chairperson said.
“Jardeleza being appointed as chief justice would mean all cases involving the Cojuangco-Aquinos and Danding Cojuangco would be decided on their favor. Aside from the Hacienda Luisita issue, peding at the Supreme Court is the issue of the coconut levy. With Jardeleza becoming the chief justice, the coconut farmers would not be able to retrieve the immoral coconut levy extorted from them since the Marcos dictatorship,” said Mesa who is also the secretary-general of the agricultural workers’ group Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (Uma).
Amgl and Ambala said that Aquino’s measures are only a repeat of Arroyo who controlled the legislative and judiciary during her term.
“With the list of nominees being bloated, we firmly believe that it is only to divert public attention away from Aquino’s favored nominess such as Jardeleza, justices Antonio Carpio and Lourdes Sereno, internal revenue commissioner Kim Henares,” Canlas said.
“We, Filipinos should stop Aquino’s attempt to establish an ‘Aquino court,’ control the judiciary, as well as, the legislative and rule as a dictator. Aquino is clearly a landlord president who serve the interest of his and allied ruling elite, tramples upon the basic rights of the people such as the farmers and other oppressed sectors,” he called. #
“We are calling against the appointment of a chief justice who is politically connected to Aquino. With Aquino appointing an ally irregardless of his or her credentials would only be a repeat of what former Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did when she appointed ousted chief justice Renato Corona,” said Joseph Canlas, Amgl chairperson.
“We call against an ‘Aquino court’ or a high court favoring Aquino and his family,” he added.
“We extremely oppose the appointment of solicitor general Francis Jardeleza who served Aquino’s uncle Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco, Jr. in San Miguel Corp. as this would mean greater possibility of the reversal of the high court’s decision on Hacienda Luisita,” Rodel Mesa, Ambala chairperson said.
“Jardeleza being appointed as chief justice would mean all cases involving the Cojuangco-Aquinos and Danding Cojuangco would be decided on their favor. Aside from the Hacienda Luisita issue, peding at the Supreme Court is the issue of the coconut levy. With Jardeleza becoming the chief justice, the coconut farmers would not be able to retrieve the immoral coconut levy extorted from them since the Marcos dictatorship,” said Mesa who is also the secretary-general of the agricultural workers’ group Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (Uma).
Amgl and Ambala said that Aquino’s measures are only a repeat of Arroyo who controlled the legislative and judiciary during her term.
“With the list of nominees being bloated, we firmly believe that it is only to divert public attention away from Aquino’s favored nominess such as Jardeleza, justices Antonio Carpio and Lourdes Sereno, internal revenue commissioner Kim Henares,” Canlas said.
“We, Filipinos should stop Aquino’s attempt to establish an ‘Aquino court,’ control the judiciary, as well as, the legislative and rule as a dictator. Aquino is clearly a landlord president who serve the interest of his and allied ruling elite, tramples upon the basic rights of the people such as the farmers and other oppressed sectors,” he called. #
RSS Feed
